MEN caught driving at 144mph on a North Yorkshire road have been banned from driving.

Daniel Scott Richardson, 21, and James Burrows, 26, were caught driving at speed on the A19 at Crathorne, near Northallerton.

Richardson, from Batley, was driving a blue Ford Focus RS closely followed by Burrows, of Methley, Leeds, in a Silver Mitsubishi, Lancer Evo on January 3.

They were each given four-month jail terms suspended for 18 months, and banned from the roads for three years after pleading guilty at Northallerton Magistrates’ Court to dangerous driving.

They were also each ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and fined £85 and ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge.

Dave Brown, North Yorkshire Police’s Mobile Safety Camera Manager, said: “The evidence captured by the safety camera shows both vehicles travelling in close proximity at extremely high speed. Any error, no matter how minor, could have been catastrophic for the two drivers, their passengers and other road users.

“The safety camera operator at the time, was utterly astounded by the speed of the vehicles. Members of the public should be allowed to use the roads in safety and should not be put at risk by other, irresponsible and dangerous drivers. I hope our communities can see the value of the safety camera vans when cases such as these are detected and prosecuted.”